Process and apparatus for concentration and separation of diamagnetic minerals



W. C. HALL. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATION AND SEPARATION OF DIAMAGNETIC MTNERALS.

APP CATION FILED AUG.4, 1921 Patented May 16, 19

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WILLARD C. HALL, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATION AND SEPARATION MINERALS. I

OF DIAll/IAGNETIO Patented May 1165, 1922,

Application filed August 4, 1521. Serial No. 489,771.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VILLARD C. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silver Bow and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Processes and Apparatus for Concentration and Separation of Diamagnet c Minerals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to an improved apparatus for and method of treatmentpf ores and has to do more particularly with the concentration or separation of diamagnetic minerals as such from the gangue.

The invention will be described herein as applied to the separation by induction of diam'agnetic minerals from ores contact1ng the same, and also for the separation of such minerals when in admixture.

The main object of the invention is to provide clean concentration and separation of diamagnetic minerals without subjecting the ores containing the same to any preliminary treatment other than crushing, the range of separation of the minerals being a wide one, while at the same time effecting a clean concentration.

A still further object of the invention is 'to provide a simple apparatus for effecting the results just stated, and one which may be rapidly operated with a minimum expenditure of energy.

In the annexed drawings I have disclosed one form of apparatus for carrying out my method of separation and concentration, wherein, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plant constructed in accordance with my-invention; and

F ig. 2 a detail elevation, on a somewhat larger scale illustrating the electro-magnet, the rotating attractor 0r gatherer and the intermediate feed belt.

lVhile the apparatus shown has in actual practice produced highly satisfactory results, it is to be understood, however, that the method may be effected by different means and that the'i'disclosure is merely illustrative.

In the drawings, l denotes a hopper provided with two discharge spouts 2 and 2 which deliver the comminuted ore onto endless belts 3 and 3. Said belts are driven in any suitable manner (not shown) and pass about pulleys 4 mounted on shafts 5 secured in supporting bars 6 and 6" overlie a receptacle 7. of the bar or straight type is likewise mounted on the bars 6 and 6 the ends of the pole piece, designated respectively by Sand 9, protruding and overlying the upper run of the adjacent belt to a slight extent. Said ends are flattened and are beveled, though such formation is not essential but is highly advantageous, as will presently appear. Located to each side of the central gangue receiving bin or receptacle 7 are bins 10 and 1 0 and arranged above each bin upon a vere t cally disposed shaft 11 is a plate or disklike member 12 and 12* respectively. Said shafts anddisks are designed to be rotated in any suitable manner (not shown) and the disks are alike in form. They are produced from a magnetic material, preferably hardened steel, the harder the better. The periphery thereof is serrated or formed into a series of shaped teeth 13 beveled on their upper face so that they come to a, relatively sharp point. Said rotatable disks, or rather the. teeth thereof, overlie the upper run of the belt at a point opposite the adjacent pole piece end and serve, in' a manner shortly to be described, to attract and remove the par ticular substance being se arated from the ore. While two belts and rotating gathering elements are shown in the magnet, it is to be understood that a single belt and a single rotating member may be employed, as in Fig. 2, and the same results obtained except as to quantity. Inasmuch as there will be no greater current consumption in the energization of the magnet necessary whether one or both terminals of the core be utilized, the dual arrangement is advantageous. The magnet is energized by the passage of a direct current through the windings thereof and one of the pole terminals, say 9, becomes the north pole. A highly intensified magnetic field radiates therefrom to the rotating disk-like element 12, which in effect becomes a south pole by induction, at that ortion thereof which is directly opposite t e pole piece and in the field of magnetic radiation. The admixed diamagnetic and non-magnetic materials are carried by the belt 3 between the pole 9 and the rotating element and thus pass into the highly intensified field existing between the pole and the metallic element 12.

Such minerals as are diamagnetic and conwhich An electromagnet 8 connection with j tain metallic elements are strongly attracted to the revolving disk. This is apparently caused by reason of induced molecular currents which are set up within the metallic elements of the mineral particles. The rotation of the element vl2 causes a cutting of the lines of force being induced into it by the electro-magnet and the molecular currents set up in the metallic minerals in one direction are greatly increased and thus the mineral is attracted strongly to the rotating ele ment 12. The rotating metallic element cuts and concentrates the line of force coming from the pole piece of the electro-magnet and causes the molecular currents set up within the metallic mineral particles to flow in one direction only. Should an electromagnet be placed in the position of the rotating steel element and excited by a direct or other current, no matter the polarity of the magnet, the action as in the above case will be neutralized by reason of opposite induction. completely neutralizing the molecular currents set up in the mineral by induction. Again, there is no induction set up by the revolving element which would tend to neutralize the molecular currents set up within the mineral particles by induction. Separation of the minerals containing metallic elements may be accomplished by varying the density of flux between the rotating element and the pole piece, the distance existing between the pole piece of the electromagnet and the adjacent edge of the rotating element. and by the speed at which the steel element is rotated. The specific resistance of the metallic'elements of the diamagnetic minerals oilered to the molecular currents is the basis of the separation of the various minerals. according to my invention. The specific resistance offered to molecular currents by the various metallic elements contained in the various mineral particles being of varying degree makes possible a clean separation of minerals under the proper working conditions and adjustment of the apparatus. 4

By feeding the ore in a comminuted form between the pointed pole piece and the toothed rotating disk, various minerals possessingdifierent de rees of specific resistance to the molecu ar currents set up within them may be separated from each other. By making the pole piece pointed and by providing teeth uponthe disk, which teeth come to arelatively thin point, the lines of force are concentrated and the minerals passing through the flux thus produced are quickly acted upon-and repelled from thls pole piece and attracted to the disk to which they adhere, being carried away from the belt to a point above the bin 10 or 10*, as the case may be, into which they drop, this by reason of the fact that that portion of thedisk to which the particles are adhering will have passed out of the flux and the particles will have become non-adherent to the disk.

It is a fact to be noted in connection with the use of my method that the ore does not need to be finely ground, in fact the coarser it is the better and quicker the separation, so long as it is ground or broken up to such an extent that the gangue and magnetic substances are freed from the diamagnetic minerals. Any free magnetic matter contained in the ore should, after the ore is crushed, be separated prior to the passage of the crushed p ore through the apparatus. The large size particles assist in the separation by reason of the fact that their volume permits the setting up therein of the induced molecular currents.

Separation of metallic elements from metallic minerals and other materials, as for instance, copper and gold. is accomplished by varying the density of the flux, the distance between the pole piece and the rotating member, and the speed at which said element is moved. Such separation is due apparently to the different specific resistances of the metals to the induced molecular current set up in the ore particles.

Non-magnetic and diamagnetic materials which do not contain metallic minerals are absolutely incapable of having induced currents produced within them. v

lVhile I have set forth a theory of action in connection with the method, it is to be understood that I do not desire to be limited by such statement; nor do I desire to be understood as limiting myself to the particular apparatus as above set forth.

What is claimed is,'-

1. The herein described process of separating diama-gnetic minerals from ores containing the same, which consists in passing such ore in a comminuted condition through an intensified ma netic flux established between the pole ot an electro-magnet and a movable magnetic conductive member placed adjacent the pole and spaced therefrom, whereby there are produced in the mineral particles molecular currents flowing 5 in one direction only, thereby causing the particles to pass to and become adherent to said moving member.

2. The herein described process of separating diamagnetic minerals from ores containing the same, which consists in passing such ores through a magnetic flux and in proximity to a movable magnetic conductive v. '3. The hereln described process of separating diamagnetlc minerals from the gangue in ores containing the same, which consists in passing such ore in a comminuted condition, into a magnetic flux and periodically intensifying said flux by cutting the lines of force thereof by mox'ing a magnetic conductive element through said lines, and thereby causing the diamagnetic mineral particles to separate from the gangue and pass to the movable element.

4. The herein described process of separating diamagneticminerals from ores con taining the same, which consists in passing such ores in a comminuted condition through a magnetic flux produced between one pole of a bar electro-magnet and a positively driven magnetic conductive member arranged adjacent the pole whereby there are produced in the mineral particles molecular currents flowing in one direction only and causing the diamagnetic mineral particles to pass to and become adherent to said rotatable member.

5. In an apparatus 'for separating diamagnetic minerals from ore containing the same, the combination of a bar electro-magnet; a rotatable magnetic conductive element placed in proximity to and opposite one of the poles of said magnet; means for mechanically rotating said member; and means for passing comminuted, ore into an unobstruct-ed space adjacent said rotatable member, whereby the mineral particles will have produced therein molecular wCllIIGIltS flowing in one direction only, which particles will pass to and become adherent to said rotatable member.

6. lfn an apparatus for separating diamagnetic minerals from ores containing the same, comprising in combination, a bar electro-magnet; a disk-like magnetic conductive member having a serrated edge, said edge standing adjacent to but spaced from one of the poles of said magnet and said member being free of any metallic connection or path extending toward the opposite pole of the magnet; means for rotating said disk; and means for feeding ore in a comminuted condition into an unobstructed space between the pole and the disk-like member.

In an apparatus for separating diamagnetic minerals from ores containing the same, the combination of a bar electro-magnet; a feed belt for comminuted ore, said belt passing one of the poles of said magnet in proximity thereto; a disk-like member of hardened steel overlapping the opposite edge of the belt, the edge of said disk-like member being provided with a series of beveled teeth; and means for rotating said disk. ,c

8. In an apparatus for separating diamagnetic minerals from ores containing the same, comprising in combination, a feed hopper, a pair of endless feed belts extending from feed openings formed in the hopper; a bar electro-magnet. the poles whereof extend outwardly into proximity with the respective belts; a disk-like member formed of hardened steel located adjacent each belt and extending over the same to a slight extent opposite the adjacent pole of the magnet; a series of beveled teeth formed upon the edge of each of said disk-like members; and means for rotating said members.

In testimony whereof I have-signed my I name to this specification.

\ WILLARD c HALL. 

